Monstrous Mondays: The Ankou, Harvest Spirit of the Dead

 Today is the first day of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Yesterday we all piled into the Honda Odyssey and partook in our family tradition of hitting the apple orchards in the northern part of the state.  We also still have a bunch of tomatoes and hot peppers in the backyard to harvest. It is our modern harvest celebration.  So to celebrate the second of three harvest celebrations, Lughnasadh, Mabon, and Samhain, here is a monster associated with them.

The Ankou

(Spirit of the Harvest Dead, Servant of Death)

Frequency: Very Rare
No. Appearing: 1
Armor Class: 1
Move: 12"
Hit Dice: 8+8
% in Lair: 30%
Treasure Type: None
No. of Attacks: 1 (scythe)
Damage/Attack: 2–12 (plus special)
Special Attacks: Wither, death strike, aura of dread
Special Defenses: +1 or better weapon to hit; immune to sleep, charm, and hold spells; turned as spectre
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Average (10)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Size: M (man-sized, gaunt)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Level/XP Value: VIII/2,800 + 12/hp

The Ankou is a dreaded harvest revenant, said to be either the spirit of a cruel farmer cursed to reap souls, or a servant of Death itself. It appears only during the great harvest festivals of Lughnasadh, Mabon, and Samhain. At dusk, it is a fleeting shadow on the fields, but by night, it roams openly: a skeletal figure in ragged peasant garb, a wide-brimmed hat casting a shadow over its skull-like face. Within its eye sockets, cold points of balefire burn.

The Ankou carries a great mowing scythe, which functions as a Sword of Nine Lives Stealing. On a natural roll of 20, the victim must save vs. death magic or perish instantly, their soul cut down like wheat at harvest.

The Ankou fights as a skilled reaper, striking once per round with its enchanted scythe. It can also call upon its powers of decay:

•     Wither Crops & Beasts: Once per night, the Ankou may extend its hand toward a field or herd within 6". Crops blight instantly, and livestock sicken. This ability can affect up to 1 acre per HD of the Ankou. No saving throw is allowed for plants or animals, although magical herds (such as pegasi and unicorns) may save against spells to resist.
  
  
•     Aura of Dread: Any creature within 30' must save vs. spells or suffer a –2 penalty on attack rolls and morale. This is not cumulative with a fear effect but is constant while the Ankou is visible.
  
  
•     Death Strike: On a critical hit (natural 20), see above. The scythe of the Ankou is part of it's existence. If the Ankou is destroyed, the scythe is also destroyed. 

The Ankou may be turned as a spectre, though it will often resist by summoning a cold wind and vanishing into shadow.

The Ankou wanders the fields and barrows of rural lands, sometimes seen by day as a distant silhouette, always acting by night. Peasants leave offerings of bread, cider, or the last sheaf of wheat to appease it. If ignored, it will strike at fields and flocks, leaving ruin in its wake.

Witches sometimes whisper that the Ankou is not a true undead but a manifestation of the dying year itself. Its role is to ensure that the harvest is paid for in blood and that the cycle of death and rebirth continues.

The Ankou cannot be permanently slain by weapons or spells. If destroyed, its form reconstitutes at the next Lughnasadh, unless a Remove Curse or Exorcism is performed at its lair (usually a barrow mound, gallows tree, or abandoned farmhouse).

It is believed there is never more than one Ankou per land, and that each year’s harvest binds a different soul into the role, chosen from the cruel or the damned. Some claim that those who die alone at harvest are most likely to become Ankou. The Ankou disappears after Samhain, not to return till next year.

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Been wanting to do this guy for years. This came out of a conversation that none of the Halloween scarecrows we saw were scary enough.